Winding-machine.



R. D. DE WOLF. WINDING MACHINE. AP PLIOATION FILED MAY 6, 196.7.

1 1 23,256, Patented Jan; 5, 1915.1

ii Pg "m w IIImI- WITNESSES: INVENTOR M ATTORNEY other filament. may beeffected at a rapid UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROGER D. DE WOLF, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO\VESTING-IEOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

WINDING-MACHINE a citizen of the'United States, and a resi-' dent ofPittsburgh," in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in lVindingMachines, of which thefollowing is a specification. m

My invention relates to machines for winding wire and other filaments,and; 1t has for its object to provide a machine whereby the winding ofvery fine wire or rate without'breaking or injuring the same.

In transferring very fine wire from a reel or bobbin to a mold or otherdevice, considerable difficulty has generallyibeen experienced inapplying uniform tension .thereto and in thus causing it to windsmoothlyand without breaking, especially whenthe mold is of. rectangularor irregular form. The present invention insures the application of auniform tension to .the wire under all con ditions, and if, for anyreason, the tension exceeds orf'alls below predetermined valuesthewinding operation is interrupted The single figure 4 of the accompanyingdrawing illustrates a machine embodying my invention.

-A mold or bobbin 1, or any-other device upon which it is desired towind a wire 2,

is rotated by a two-part shaft 3 that is operated by means of apulley 4and a belt 5. A clutch, comprising members 6 and 7, carried,respectively, by the parts of the shaft,

, serves to connect and disconnect the said parts, the member 7 beingadjustable axially and being normally .held in engagement with themember 6 by means of a helical compression spring 8 interposed betweenthe member 7 and a flange or collar 9 upon the shaft The wire 2 isunwound from a supply reel 10, at substantially the same rate as it iswound upon the mold or bobbin 1, by

means of an operative connection between the shaft 3 and the shaft 11upon which the supply reel 10 is carried, the operative connectioncomprisingdisks 12 and 13 that are mounted, respectively, upon theshafts 11 and 3 and corresponding wheelsl land 15 that make frictionalengagement with the. disks and are mounted, respectively, upon theextremities of a shaft 16. The friction wheel 15 is so keyed to theshaft 16 that it may be adjusted longitudinally by Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

' Application filed May 6, 1907. Serial No. 372,153.

means of a position-controlling lever 17 in order to vary the relativerate of rotation of the-shafts 3 and 11.

Between the mold l and the reel 10 the I connected to one terminal of amagnetwind- -10 at a greater linear rate than it is wound 'mold-l isround, and making ing 24, the other terminal of which is con nected,through a battery 25, to the arm 21. Thus, when the arm 21 engages theone or the other of the stops 22 and 23 a circuit is established throughthe winding 24 which thereupon becomes energized and actuates a lever 26so. as to move the clutch member 7 out of engagement with the member 6,the winding operation being, in this manner, interrupted.

In the operation of the machine, the position of the friction wheel 15,with reference to the axis of the disk 13, is adjusted so that the wire2isunwound from the reel 10 at the same rate as it is wound uponthe moldor bobbin 1, the level-.21, under such conditions, assuming asubstantially stationa position between the stops 22 and 23 if the I avibratory movementif the mold is rectangular or irregular in shape, thetension upon the Wire remaining substantially constant. As the diameterof the winding upon the mold or bobbin 1 increases and that upon thereel 10 decreases, the lever 21 will be gradually raised, because thewire is being wound upon the mold or bobbin 1 at a greater linear ratethan it is unwound from the reel 10 which causes a taking up of theslack wire, 2'. e., a shortening of the wire between the pulleys l8 and19. If the winding is continued in this manner for a sufficient periodof time without adjusting the position of the friction wheel 15, thelever 21 will be moved-- into engagement with the stop 22, whereupon themagnet winding 24 will become energized and effect separation of the"clutch members 6 and 7 with consequent interruption of the windingoperation. If, for any reason, the wire is unwound from the reel belowered, because the length of wire between the pulleys l8 and 19 willincrease, and if this condition prevails-.for a suflicient stop 23,whereupon the magnet windinggi becomes energized andnefiectsseparationof the clutch members 6 and 7, thereby interrupting thewinding operation." The same result will occur, of course, if the wirebreaks between the reel and the mold. Thus it is seen since a constantweight is applied to the portion of the wire between the pulleys 18 and19, the tension upon the wire remains substantially uniform, and if thelength of the wire between the pulleys 18 and 19 is de-,

creased to such an extent that there-is dan- =ger of breaking the wire,the winding operation is stopped. Likewise, if the length of the wirebetween the pulleys '18 and 19 increases to a predeterminedvalueinterrup- $101101? the winding operation is also effected. If,owingj'to an imperfection in the winding upon the mold or bobbin 1, orfor other reason, it becomes necessary to unwind some of the wiretherefrom preparatory to .rewinding; it is :only necessary to reversethe direction of rotation ofthe shaft 3. and the wire will be'wound uponthe reel 10substanrtially as itis wound-upon the mold or bobbin in-theforward operation of the machine.

' The tension upon the wire may be varied b adjusting'the weight of thearm 21.

It will, of course, be understood'that the arrangement and structuraldetails of the parts here shown may beconsiderably-modi- 'fiedwithout-departing from the spirit of "the invention. For instanceyagreatvariety of operative means may be employed for so connecting the mold orbobbin and the sup ply reel that the wire shall be drawn from the reelat substantially the same rate as it is applied to the mold or bobbin,and many the length of the wire between the -pulle'ys I i8'and 19 is notwithin predetermined limits. period of time, the lever 21 will engagetheI claim as my invention:-

0 1. In a.- winding machine for wire and. 4

similarl i'filaments,. the combination witha reel whereby the supplyreel is caused to deliver the wire or filament at substantially the samerate as it is applied'i'to the bobbin, of two guides over which the wireor filament runs between the reel and the bobbin, aJmember that ridesupon the wire orv filament betweenthe said guides, and meansgoverned'by' said member for interrupting the winding operation when thelength of wire between thegiiides is not within pre- 1 determinedlimiting values.

In a winding machine-for wire and similiar filaments, the combinationwith a bobbin, a supplyreehand an operative connection between thebobbin and supply reel whereby the supply reel is cause we deliver thewire orfila'ment at substantially the same rate as itis applied 't'othe, bobbin, of two guides over which the'wire or filament runsbetweenthe reel and the bobbin, a member that rides upon the wireor filaimentbetween the said guides, and electrical means governed by saidmemberfo'r interrupting the winding operation when the length of wirebetween thejguides is not within predetermined limiting values.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th'dayof April, 1907 I ROGER'DDEWOLE Witnesisesi' Jas.v M. AMENT,

BIBNEY HINES.

